Kanye West has had so many controversies over the years, it can be difficult to keep track of them all. Most recently, the fashion designer and rapper (who legally changed his name to ‘Ye’) had his Twitter and Instagram accounts restricted after making anti-Semitic comments online, and later doubling down on them, which sparked serious backlash and discussions about whether or not it's time to finally cancel Ye.
Earlier this month, he was also on the receiving end of criticism after wearing a ‘White Lives Matter’ t-shirt alongside Candace Owens (who is basically a US version of Katie Hopkins i.e. somebody largely famous for having controversial views).
Adding to the complication when it comes to the ‘cancellation of Kanye’ though, is Ye’s bipolar disorder diagnosis, which he first spoke about in 2016. Whilst we all know ill mental health can be serious and have an impact on your behaviour, for the past few years many people, brands and fellow celebrities have felt conflicted about whether or not Ye’s alarming rants and political outbursts can be attributed to his condition.
However with a fresh wave of names close to Kanye announcing they are cutting ties with him, could this really be the final straw?
In light of his recent anti-Semitic comments and subsequent threats of cancellation, Kanye himself seems to be shrugging off any brands ending their contracts with him, appearing to believe his behaviour won’t affect him. In an interview with TMZ, the father-of-four made it clear that he doesn’t believe he can be ‘cancelled’ for anything, least not his hurtful remarks, but from the outside? It looks as though plenty have finally run out of patience with the rapper's inappropriate behaviour.
Who has cut ties with Kanye West?
Balenciaga
Fashion house Balenciaga has made the decision to stop working with the rapper after having fruitful partnerships with him. Kanye addressed Balenciaga's decision, claiming: “I ain't losing no money... The day I was taken off the Balenciaga site, that was one of the most freeing days.”
Adidas
And, after a long silence from Adidas - who faced public pressure to reconsider who they partner with - the sports brand eventually confirmed it too will be terminating its partnership with Ye immediately (as of 25 October).
In a statement, Adidas said: “Adidas does not tolerate antisemitism and any other sort of hate speech. Ye’s recent comments and actions have been unacceptable, hateful and dangerous, and they violate the company’s values of diversity and inclusion, mutual respect and fairness. After a thorough review, the company has taken the decision to terminate the partnership with Ye immediately, end production of Yeezy branded products and stop all payments to Ye and his companies. adidas will stop the adidas Yeezy business with immediate effect.”
Creative Artists Agency (CAA)
His talent agency, Creative Artists Agency (CAA) has also dropped Ye in the past month, along with film and TV studio MRC, who said it won’t release the recently completed documentary they've shot with him.
His lawyers
Following suit, Johnny Depp's lawyer Camille Vasquez is no longer working with West as of Monday (24 October). Kanye recently hired Vasquez to handle his business matters, however according to TMZ, when his anti-Semitic remarks over the weekend were called out, the lawyer informed her firm that she has no interest in working with someone like Ye.
TMZ also reports that the law firm still wanted to work with Kanye, but only if one condition was met – that Kanye publicly retract his anti-Semitic words. However, Kanye has refused to do so and reportedly fired the firm himself.
Def Jam
It’s reported that Def Jam imprint G.O.O.D. Music, which is owned by Ye, is no longer associated with the record label.
Vogue and Anna Wintour
Celebrities are also finding Kanye’s behaviour unforgivable and are choosing to boycott the rapper. Once pictured together at top fashion shows, Editor-in-Chief of American Vogue, Anna Wintour, has decided to sever ties with Ye too. Ye and Wintour have been friends for more than a decade, but in a report [via Page Six] a representative claims Wintour has no intention of working with the rapper again.
Kim Kardashian
Kim Kardashian, who we know was married to Kanye for eight years and has four children with him, has also publicly acknowledged her previous husband's behaviour in a tweet, strongly condemning it. On her Instagram Stories, Kim said: “Hate speech is never OK or excusable. I stand together with the Jewish community and call on the terrible violence and hateful rhetoric towards them to come to an immediate end.”
Many… many celebrities
One of the first famous figures to call out Kanye following his first anti-semitic comments earlier this month was David Schwimmer. On 11 October, the Friends star posted to Instagram: “Whether or not Kanye West is mentally ill, there’s no question he is a bigot. His hate speech calls for violence against Jews. If you interpret his words any other way and defend him, guess what? You are racist. If we don’t call someone as influential as Kanye out for his divisive, ignorant and anti-semitic words then we are complicit. Silence is complicity.”
Other celebrities including Khloé Kardashian, Reese Witherspoon and Amy Schumer are also standing in solidarity with Jewish people following the deeply hurtful comments from Ye.
Also on the list of A-listers speaking out against Kanye and antisemitism is: Jamie Lee Curtis, Eric André, Florence Pugh, Josh Gad, Banks, Amy Schumer, Ruby Rose and Chelsea Handler, amongst many others.
Chloe Bowen is Cosmopolitan UK’s former Features Intern. She holds undergraduate and masters degrees in journalism, and ever since joining the Cosmo team, Chloe writes about everything from sex and dating to mental health, culture, body image and books. In her spare time, she’s likely to be cooking up tasty vegan food, in a yoga class, binge-watching crime documentaries or going on long walks with an over-priced oat milk flat white.
